One Cold Starry Night
by Of Memories Past
Summary: One cold night while trying to find shelter, Kagome gets kidnapped. How will Inuyasha react? COMPLETE
1. Separation

DISCLAIMER:  I do not own Inuyasha or anything to do with it.

One Cold Starry Night

By:  Of Memories Past

Chapter 1: Separation 

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Cold, icy winds penetrated the thin school clothes that she always wore. Clothes that had always made her swelter during the hot season now left her shivering. How did it come to grow this cold here? The full moon and starry sky lighted the land well, illuminating the trees howling dangerously in the night. Kagome ignored her chattering teeth and looked up to see how the others were faring. Miroku, with his teeth clenched tightly together in order to refrain from chattering, tiredly but determinedly pushed forward. Looking to Sango, Kagome found that her friend found the weather just as difficult. She wearily walked on, trying desperately to keep a shivering Kirara warm within the folds of her robe. Even the fire cat quivered from the frosty atmosphere. Inuyasha and Shippo pushed forward just ahead of her. Kagome sighed. Shippo had been huddled in her backpack until the cold air succeeded in fully penetrating the thin material. Knowing that the small kitsune would freeze, she had boldly brought him to Inuyasha. And she had been surprised when he instantly took the tiny kit from her arms and tucked him into the thick, red robes. Shippo had gratefully smiled up at the hanyou, and Kagome could have sworn that a small smile tugged at the corners of Inuyasha's lips.

She sighed. At least Shippo was warm now. She, on the other hand, continued to freeze along with her friends. What she would have given for a warm place—

"Look!" Miroku called out.

Kagome looked up along with everyone else. Just ahead a cave welcomingly poked out of a hillside. It looked warm and inviting, and she was ready to accept anything to get out of the cold.

"Let's go!" she shouted eagerly. Oh, how badly she wanted to be rid of the cold!

"Wait a minute, Wench!"

The harsh voice caused Kagome to halt. She hated it when he called her that. Slowly, she turned around and threw a burning glare toward the hanyou. "What is it, Inuyasha?"

Stubbornly, he marched forward. "Don't you realize what could be in there? Do you want to run in only to find a demon waiting to devour you?" He walked on ahead to search the area and the cave before they made camp for the night. "You really are foolish, Wench."

Feeling her face flush through every shade of red known to mankind, Kagome counted to ten. She had come to learn that his abrupt actions and insults half of the time meant that he was concerned and worried about her. But still, he could be such a jerk.  Silently, she watched his figure from behind as he slowly approached the cave.

The pale, amber eyes that shimmered in the starlight seemed to glow a bit brighter as he reached the mouth of the cave. Crouching because of the low entrance, Inuyasha cautiously peered into the dark, menacing cavern. The cave was shallow, only reaching a height of about fourteen feet and extending a mere thirty meters back. But it would shelter them from the cold winds and keep them much warmer than they were at present if they started a fire. Satisfied, Inuyasha crossed his arms and turned back to the others. "It's safe!"

Miroku led a nearly frozen Sango up to the entrance. All of the demon huntress's energy had gone into keeping poor Kirara warm.

"She's so cold she can't transform," Sango whispered, her teeth clacking together.

Kirara's tiny face peeked out shyly from Sango's robes and a small noise escaped her body. 

Sango smiled as she felt the warm burst of energy against her body. The small fire cat was trying her best to warm her. "It's ok, Kirara. I'm alright. Save your energy."

Nearly collapsing from the effort, Kirara did as Sango bode but insisted on snuggling closer. Her master needed warmth. 

"Well, get in you two!" Inuyasha snapped pushing them forward. Hastily, he pulled a sleeping Shippo out from his robe and thrust him into Miroku's arms. The kit remained with his dreams. "You don't want to freeze to death, do ya?" He finished shoving the pair into the cave and about entered himself when he realized that someone was missing. Panicked gripped him more fiercely than the icy winds howling about them. The amber orbs widened to their fullest as he ran from the cave in search of Kagome. How could he have lost her? With strands of silver hair tailing behind him, Inuyasha tore off into the night.

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"Do you think this will be enough to keep a fire going all night, Sango?" Miroku carefully dropped a large pile of firewood in the middle of the cave.

Sango looked at the pile thoughtfully. "If we can set it up to burn slowly, it should last us well into the morning. Here, arranged them like this." The young woman leaned down and began arranging the sticks like a teepee. Twice she had to slap away a wandering hand and by the time the firewood lay arranged perfectly, the monk had a bump on the head and a red cheek in his possession.

Meanwhile, a frosty Shippo seemed to be dancing as he tried to keep his bare feet off of the frozen ground. "Hurry up and get that lighted you guys!" He clutched his body with his small arms and bounded over to Sango. "Pick me up, please."

Sango laughed merrily as she listened to the chattering teeth and watched the silly dance before scooping Shippo up into her arms. Shippo immediately snuggled closely.

"Is that better?" Sango asked, smiling softly.

"Yes, Sango, thank you," the kit replied.

The wind began to pick up outside more at that moment. Those huddled in the cave listened intently as the howling increased significantly, drowning out all other sounds of the night. Somber faces filled the insignificant cavern. Their friends had been gone for over an hour, and the weather outside promised to worsen.

"We had better get that fire started," Miroku said quietly.

Sango nodded absently, knowing full well that Kagome was going to need all the warmth she could get once Inuyasha brought her back. "Kirara…"

But before the demon huntress could even finish, the fire cat had walked over to the firewood that had been set up and delicately touched one tiny paw to the kindling. Immediately, the wood roared to life.

Flames of bright oranges, reds, and yellows licked up into the air, creating the heat that had been yearned for. The smoke silently filtered out the cave entrance and left a pleasant, homey aroma in the air.   
  


The friends sat silently around the fire, watching as the shadows caused by the flames danced on the cave walls. Kirara purred contently now that she was warm again and stretched out to transform. The saber-toothed fire cat gently lay down near the fire, welcoming her friends to seek warmth in her long fur.

Shippo did not need to be asked twice and had scrambled onto Kirara's back before Sango and Miroku settled next to her warm side.

"Thank you, Kirara," Miroku murmured, sleep beckoning. It had been a long day.

Sango smiled up at her pet and closed her eyes to sleep.

Shippo watched as the two adults drifted off and then turned to Kirara. "Do you think Inuyasha will find Kagome in time?" Worried eyes glanced toward the opening to the cave.

A low, rumbling growl was his response.

Shippo sighed. "Me too, Kirara. Me too."

A/N: Hope that you all enjoyed the first chapter. I plan on having the next one out with in the next day or so. Please review. Constructive criticism and support are always appreciated ~_Of Memories Past_.


	2. The Blood Within

DISCLAIMER:  I do not own Inuyasha or anything to do with it.

One Cold Starry Night

By:  Of Memories Past

Chapter 2: The Blood Within 

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_"Be safe, Kagome."_ Inuyasha tore over the frozen countryside in search of the missing miko. The vibrant, amber eyes drew in every ounce of light made available by the moon and the stars. He would find her. He _must._ The thought of some demon carrying his precious Kagome off into the night caused his limbs to move all the faster. _"Wait."_ Inuyasha stopped with wide eyes for a moment before picking up speed again. _"Where did that thought come from?"_ But he knew it did not matter. Deep down, Inuyasha knew all that he needed to know. It was simply a matter of surrendering himself to the emotions that were becoming more and more difficult to ignore everyday. He pressed on, determined to find her. 

And that's when it reached him. The scent slowly crept into his senses, setting every nerve ending on fire as countless thoughts raced dangerously through his mind. That scent—every particle of it screamed _youkai_. 

Thoughts of Kagome mauled and devoured by a giant demon started the initial change in his blood. Inuyasha tensed as every sense intensified. He could hear every blade of grass that moved with the cruel winds; he could discern the dead leaves among the live ones on the bushes of trees deep within the forest. Youkai blood began to pulse through his veins, and Inuyasha desperately fought to suppress it. Not now…

The metallic scent of something warm and sticky touched his nostrils, and suddenly and anger that he had never felt before rushed through him. The scent was blood! Kagome's blood! And he could smell the foul odor of youkai mixed in with the scent of her sweet life-giving fluid. 

Mixed with fear, hatred, and the need to protect someone he cared so deeply for, the demon within would not be controlled. He shouted out in anger and pain as the sharp fangs forced themselves out, glistening in the bright moonlight. He watched with pleasure as the claws grew right before his eyes. Youkai blood now pumping freely through his veins, Inuyasha felt a rare strength. And he could pinpoint exactly where the demon holding Kagome lay. Violently, he turned scarlet eyes toward the direction he had scented the youkai. That demon was going to _die_. 

_"Hang on, Kagome. I'm coming."_

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It had all been so sudden. One minute she was looking up ahead at her friends, and the next a silent intruder had rushed by and taken her. Kagome still wondered at the unusual occurrence as the sat freezing against the back of a sturdy tree. She warily eyed the demon pacing in front of her. 

Deep, gray hair framed the pointed face of the wolf demon while in his humanoid form. At least in this form she didn't feel the same terror she had when he had kidnapped her. In his true form, the demon stood about eight feet at the shoulder. Long, sharp claws extended from the padded paws, and razor sharp teeth shone in the moonlight. Kagome shuddered.

First mistake.

Sensing her fear, the demon circled her yet again, the fierce gray eyes full of lust making him all the more intimidating. Kagome defiantly stared back, refusing to let him terrorize her though she truly felt the fear pulsating through her body. This demon had a look in his eye that did not bode well for her.

With a snarled smile, the demon reached out a clawed hand and snatched her chin, forcing her to look up. "Human or not," he whispered wickedly "you will be a more than decent mate." Deep, gray hair fell over one of his eyes as he smiled cruelly.

"I will not be your mate," Kagome whispered boldly, locking her gaze with his. "I have already been promised to another." The lie gave her a bit of strength and hopefully a bit of time. She knew that Inuyasha would be coming to look for her. She prayed that he would arrive shortly. This youkai did not need to let his mind wander any further…

Startled, she jumped when the wolf demon laughed. "Taken?" he questioned leaning closer. "I do not detect the scent of another on you." The sadistic smile faded as he harshly grabbed Kagome's face. "Are you lying to me, foolish girl?"

Kagome remained silent.

That sinister grin appeared once again on the youkai's face. "Well then, let us just get this over with. Shall we?" He tilted her neck to the side. "_Mine_," he whispered possessively.

Not wanting to see anything of the claiming rite, Kagome closed her eyes. She kept on wondering how she had gotten herself into this mess. _"Slave to a demon? No, I can't…!"_

But the demon did not touch her anymore. He did not have the chance to. A quick, violent breeze seemed to pull itself from the already windy atmosphere and rush past her. And then she heard it: small thumps. Something was hitting the ground.

Kagome opened her eyes to find pieces of the demon about to claim her strewn about the land and others still falling. She grimaced at the horrible sight, but also sighed in relief. She was safe. 

Or so she thought. Fear gripped her once more as she looked up to find a fully transformed Inuyasha standing before her with sharp claws extended. She knew that those claws could rip her to shreds without effort. 

"Did he touch you?" his rough voice asked.

Kagome watched as he clenched his fist tighter and tighter until his own blood seeped out of the new wounds in his hands. "No," she said timidly.

Crimson eyes flashed toward her and she flinched. "At all?"

She swallowed. "He…he grabbed my face."

"That's it?" the hanyou asked coming closer. 

The close proximity shook up Kagome. Inuyasha was not himself, and she did not want to feel the wrath of the bloodstained claws. "Inuyasha, stay away," she warned weakly.

"Is that it?" the same voice asked, crouching down in front of her.

She nodded meekly and then gasped as once clawed finger tilted her chin up gently. "I'm not going to hurt you, Kagome."

Even though he stayed in his demon form, Kagome could see in those bright, red eyes that Inuyasha had not lied to her. For some reason she felt…safe.

Taking the outstretched, clawed hand, Kagome accepted his help up. She was relieved that he had shown up in the nick of time. She started to walk forward, anxious to get back to the cave and warm up, but a tug from Inuyasha brought her back to him.

She tensed as she felt her back pressed against his body and a clawed hand carefully move the hair back from her neck. One of his claws lightly brushed across her neck, and she gasped from surprise as she realized that no blood had been drawn.

A light chuckle from the hanyou turned youkai caused her to start. "I told you that I would not hurt you," he said lightly.

Whether or not he was going to hurt her did not matter at the moment. Inuyasha was not completely himself yet. Kagome went to turn around but then shuddered as she felt the back of his hand stroking her neck.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" she asked, licking her lips nervously.

Behind her, Inuyasha smirked slyly. "I'm going to make sure that no one ever bothers you again."

The sensation of Inuyasha's fangs coming down on the side of her neck alarmed Kagome at first. The sharp tips lightly penetrated her flesh, but she surprisingly felt no pain. She felt…comfortable? Sighing, Kagome relaxed as she waited for Inuyasha to release the gentle nip.

Disappointed and somewhat dizzy when he finally released her, she slowly turned around to face the red-eyed hanyou before stepping forward and going into his arms. She instantly fell asleep.

Shifting the sleeping girl, Inuyasha sped off into the night. Demon or not, they both needed to get somewhere warm…and soon.

A/N: Finally finished with the second chapter. Hopefully the third will be out in the next few days. Please read and review. It helps me to keep going with the stories to hear your opinions since I have a zillion other things piled on me at once~_ Of Memories Past._


	3. Youkai Blood

DISCLAIMER:  I do not own Inuyasha or anything to do with it.

One Cold Starry Night

By:  Of Memories Past

Chapter 3: Youkai Blood

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Still soundly asleep on Kirara's back, Shippo's little nose started sniffing the night air. Something had changed. The sleeping form of the kitsune froze as the scent became recognizable. _Youkai…_

"Youkai!" Shippo screamed jumping up.

Kirara's head snapped up as the same scent reached her.

Sango and Miroku awoke to the kit's yells, sleepily rubbing at their eyes until Shippo bounded onto them, obviously panicked.

"There. Is. A. _Youkai_. Coming!" Each word was clearly enunciated and then stressed even more by roughly pulling the sleeping duo by their clothing each time he spoke. Shippo finally released their clothing and sat back on their laps. "Do you hear what I'm saying?!"

Now fully awake, Sango reached for Hiraikotsu as Miroku tried to calm the panicked fox-demon. Shippo struggled as the monk tried to hold him still and then bit down on the monk's hand when he found that he would not be released.

"Shippo!" Miroku exclaimed before reaching out to snatch the offender by his tail. What had possessed their small friend to do something like that?

And the spoke of offender squealed when he felt the monk's hand grasp his tail and then pull him back. 

Decidedly planting Shippo in his lap, Miroku refused to let his grip go until he could get the young fox to speak. "Shippo calm down." Reluctantly, Shippo obeyed. Miroku nodded. "Good. Now can you explain a little more to us instead of panicking?"

"There's a youkai coming, and he's _a lot_ closer than he was before!" Shippo scowled. He glanced at Kirara as she approached and lay down beside them. "She sensed it too!"

"How close is it, Shippo?" Sango asked kneeling down beside Miroku and cupping Shippo's cheek. Absently, she smacked away Miroku's wandering hand.

"It's…" Shippo began.

"It's where?" Sango prodded.

The demon-huntress' brow furrowed as she watched all of the color drain from their small friend's face. Fear filled the child's eyes as his gaze rested on the cave entrance. He subconsciously reached forward and clung to the front of Sango's clothing.

"There," he whispered.

Miroku and Sango set their sights to the entrance and visible tensed at what they saw there. Inuyasha stood, fully transformed, with an unconscious Kagome in his arms. 

"This isn't good," Miroku whispered to Sango. He warily eyed their transformed friend as he brought Kagome over to a dark corner and gently placed her on the ground without breaking eye contact with any of them. He then proceeded to take off the fire-rat robe and spread it out on the ground before carefully picking the unconscious girl up and placing her on it.

"He's being gentle," Sango observed softly. But her eyesight did not move from Inuyasha.

"Don't let that fool you." Suddenly, he felt the kit tense in his lap and looked down to find the child clenching his fists together and growling.

"How could you?" Shippo growled furiously. He angrily looked toward Inuyasha and glared dangerously. "_How could you?_"

Sango and Miroku sat confused. They looked back and forth between the two demons trying to figure out the cause for the sudden tension. 

"Shippo…" Sango's voice trailed as the kitsune's eyes began flashing. She jumped a bit when Inuyasha growled. His eyes were fixed on the kit.

"Leave it be, brat," Inuyasha warned, turning back to Kagome. He carefully wrapped the robe around her sleeping form and allowed one claw to trace her jaw line, leaving her unscathed. 

Shippo growled. "How could you do that to Kagome!" He jumped from the safety of his friends, positioning himself between them and Inuyasha.

"I'm warning you, brat…" the harsh voice growled.

Shippo's eyes flashed a threatening green. "_I've_ warned _you_!" Slowly, Shippo's body began to take on a new form. His torso elongated, forcing him to go down onto all fours. Next, the upper arms that had been that of a human before converted into those of a fox, and sharp fangs poked out from the long snout. The once jovial eyes of a child rested at a menacing green color.

Sango and Miroku watched with wide eyes.

"Shippo transformed," Sango whispered, astonished. She automatically moved closer to Miroku, who for once, kept his hands to himself.

Miroku nodded, still a bit dazed. All of a sudden his head cleared, and fear filled his being. "Sango, he's going to…"

Miroku spoke too late. The fox took full charge at Inuyasha.

"Shippo, no!" the humans cried together. But their words were of no use. Shippo attacked.

Tears sprung into Sango's eyes. "Kagome is the only one who can stop him, but she's unconscious!" Determination crossed the young woman's face. "I have to wake her!" As she moved to go forward, Miroku grabbed her and pulled her against him.

"You can't! You won't be able to get past Inuyasha!"

She sat back in defeat and watched as their brave, little friend rushed to what was certainly his death.

Shippo latched on to Inuyasha's arm as soon as he reached him, the sharp baby teeth easily piercing his flesh.

Inuyasha glared. "Fool!" He powerfully grasped the kitsune's leg and pulled it off of his arm, tearing the flesh in the process. Then, squeezing the leg in his hand, he snapped the bone.

Shippo yelped as the bone in his leg broke. The pain seared through and he whimpered more, as a baby would. He sorrowfully watched as Inuyasha raised his claws for a final attack.

Sango and Miroku sat back helplessly, watching what they thought would be the final blow.

But it never came. Inuyasha froze and looked at his hand before looking back at the whimpering kit. His eyes began to flash between red and amber until they finally rested at their familiar brilliant gold color. The claws and fangs slowly retracted back to their normal state.

"Shippo?" he asked, his voice normal once again. Inuyasha gently released the broken leg while supporting the rest of Shippo's transformed body. Tears filled his eyes. "What have I done?"

Shippo slowly transformed back to his humanoid state, the break in his leg even more obvious than it had been in his youkai form. Tears of pain and betrayal streamed down his cheeks as he shied from Inuyasha. He was scared.

Tears of his own welled up in Inuyasha's eyes. How could be have done this? "Shippo…"

"Don't hu...hurt m...mm…me," Shippo pleaded, crying.

Inuyasha's heart broke, and the tears he had been holding in freely coursed down his cheeks. "I'm not going to hurt you, Shippo." He cradled the crying child to his chest. "I'm so sorry." 

Both demons sat crying with each other as the humans sat back and watched. The fear that they had had before hand vanished. They needed to help their friends.

Shippo remained crying into Inuyasha's chest with his small arms wrapped around the hanyou's neck. Inuyasha simply hugged him back, willing the pain he had caused to go away. His own tears fell freely.

"Inuyasha's crying," Sango said, slightly stunned.

Miroku nodded. "He feels horrible for what he did."

Inuyasha gently shifted the kit into his lap. "Miroku, get some of the bandages out of Kagome's bag." He turned his attention to Shippo. "I need to set your leg."

Shippo nodded and buried his face in Inuyasha's chest, waiting for the pain to come.

Inuyasha breathed deeply before taking a hold of Shippo's leg. He flinched at the sob as the bone snapped back into place. The tiny kitsune began crying violently, both from the pain and the night's unfortunate events. 

"I'm so sorry, Shippo." He tenderly cradled the kit. "I'm so sorry."

Miroku silently crept up and splinted and bandaged the broken leg. Shippo continued to cry against Inuyasha. When he finished, he lightly laid a hand on the distraught hanyou's shoulder.

Inuyasha turned a tearful gaze to him and Miroku shook his head. 

"We're staying with you," he said firmly. With that said, Miroku returned to Kirara along with Sango and went to sleep.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

Shippo's soft voice surprised him. What did the kit have to be sorry for? "Why are you sorry?" He absently stroked Shippo's back; something his mother would do for him when he was young. 

"I'm sorry for coming after you." Shippo curled up to go to sleep. "But why did you do it?"

Inuyasha sighed. So the kit had noticed the change in her scent. "I wanted to," he whispered.

"She doesn't know…" Shippo drifted off into sleep. 

Inuyasha carried Shippo over to Kagome and set him underneath his robe with her. Gazing fondly and ashamedly at them both, he crept into the darkest corner in the cave and drifted off to sleep, plagued by nightmares of what he had done…

A/N: I wanted to cry thinking of Shippo getting hurt. I'm planning the fourth to be out in the next day or so. Please read and review. It would be a great encouragement to keep writing. God Bless~ _Of Memories Past._


	4. Adjustments

DISCLAIMER:  I do not own Inuyasha or anything to do with it.

One Cold Starry Night

By:  Of Memories Past

Chapter 4: Adjustments 

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Kagome stirred as stray beams of sunlight filtered through the mouth of the cave. She groaned as one particular shaft of light struck her face and turned over to avoid the morning rays only to find an obstacle in her path. Sleepily opening one eye, Kagome looked at Shippo's sleeping form and smiled. She gently ruffled his hair before stretching out on her back and yawning, the scent of breakfast cooking invading her sense of smell. Smiling again, Kagome got up to help Sango finish the cooking. 

"Inuyasha…" she said, surprised to find the hanyou bent over the morning fire. Only more confusion leapt into her eyes when he looked up at her sadly. Curiously, she crossed over to the fire and sat down beside him. "What' s wrong Inuyasha?"

He did not say anything, but instead he pulled her into his arms in a tight embrace. Kagome simply hugged him back, still wondering at his unusual behavior. She sighed as he brushed his fingers across the side of her neck, and a warm, comfortable sensation ran through her body. Her entire being felt relaxed. Without thinking, Kagome reached up and kissed his cheek before drifting off to sleep again.

Inuyasha froze at the sudden contact before lifting her in his arms to put her back to sleep next to Shippo. But as soon as she returned to her temporary blanket, the kitsune child woke up and held his arms out to Inuyasha. Inuyasha carefully picked him up, fully aware of the broken leg. Shippo offered him a small smile in forgiveness.

Inuyasha growled slightly and quietly crossed back to the fire to finish breakfast. Shippo happily sat in his lap, warm from both the fire and his companion's body heat. Often Inuyasha found Shippo reaching out to sample bits and pieces of the breakfast, but he allowed the kit the small pleasure instead of stopping him.

"Did you catch this deer this morning, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked, reaching out to sample yet another piece of the almost roasted meat.

Inuyasha sighed and began to cook some more meat. Shippo had been taking quite a few samples. "Yes, but try to leave some for the others."

Shippo nodded and reached for a carrot instead. "Is hunting hard?"

Inuyasha continued adding vegetables and meat to the boiling pot over the fire to make a stew. "It can be." He lightly scratched Shippo's back, still remorseful about the previous night.

"Can you teach me?" he asked with pleading eyes around a mouthful of carrot.

"When your leg heals," he almost choked. The small leg would not have to heal if it had not been for him.

"Thank you, Inuyasha!" He smiled grandly and threw his arms around the hanyou's neck.

Inuyasha tried not to smile as he pried Shippo from himself and sat the child back down to snack on another piece of meat. He was so forgiving.

"Inuyasha," Shippo started, changing the subject, "Kagome smells different."

He nodded.

"She smells like you," Shippo continued suspiciously.

He nodded again, carefully keeping his gaze away from the kitsune child. 

"Then I was right last night?"

"Yes."

Shippo sat contemplating the situation for a moment. Kagome was like his mother. She watched out for him and took care of him. He did everything with her. He listened to her when she told him to do things. She _was_ his mother as far as he was concerned now. But she belonged to someone else now…

"Inuyasha?" he questioned innocently. "If Kagome is yours now, are you my new dad?"

Inuyasha froze. A _father_? _Him_? Kagome _had_ clearly taken Shippo in as her son, but Inuyasha had not thought of what that meant for him if he had done what he did. He sighed. That would mean…

"If Kagome accepts it, then yes," he said quietly.

Shippo grinned widely and then stuffed another morsel in his mouth. 

"Smells good." 

Inuyasha and Shippo looked up to find Sango approaching them, Kirara following closely behind. Sango sat down and place the small fire cat in her lap, lightly stroking the soft fur while she watched her two friends. Shippo certainly seemed to be at ease with Inuyasha despite the previous occurrences as he sat happily munching in the hanyou's lap. However, pain over what he had done was clearly etched in Inuyasha's face. Sango smiled sadly and reached out to take a clawed hand into her own.

Inuyasha was surprised at the action but did not refuse the contact. He glanced questioningly at the demon huntress.

"It's going to be ok, Inuyasha," she said reassuringly. She released his hand. "And thank you for fixing breakfast this morning.

He grumbled a response and turned his attention back to the food. Sango smiled.

"Good morning," Miroku said, awaking at the smell of food. "I trust everyone is feeling better?"

Shippo and Sango nodded while Kirara chirped. Inuyasha muttered an inaudible response.

It was at that point when Kagome wandered up, wrapped in the fire- rat robe. She cheerfully draped it back around Inuyasha's shoulders before sitting next to him.

"Kagome, what happened last night?" Miroku asked concerned. "Are you ok?"

Kagome smiled and nodded. "I wasn't injured at all. Just scared a bit. A large wolf youkai kidnapped me and apparently wanted to make me his mate, but Inuyasha saved me.

Inuyasha noticeably shifted uncomfortably at the mentioning of "mate."

"So everything is ok." Kagome grinned and brushed her hair aside before reaching out to try a piece of meat.

"Kagome, your neck!" Sango gasped.

"Huh?" Kagome asked, bewilderment in her eyes. 

"You have teeth marks in your neck!"

Miroku leaned closer and frowned. "She's right. How did you get those?"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't know."

"Oh, those are Inuyasha's," Shippo happily volunteered. 

Three pairs of eyes snapped questioningly to the munching kit while Inuyasha simply glared.  

"Inuyasha's?" Miroku asked.

Kagome reached up to touch her neck, slightly stunned. "That's right, he did bite me." She nervously turned to the hanyou. "Inuyasha, you were transformed last night when you saved me. And then you bit me. Why?"

Inuyasha scowled. "You make it sound like I tried to bite your head off. I didn't bite you that hard."

"No," Kagome agreed. "You were gentle." She paused. "You were in your youkai form and were _gentle_." Freezing, she glanced up at him. "What did that bite mean, Inuyasha?"

He lowered his eyes to the ground. "It means that you're mine now."

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"_I'm yours_?"

Inuyasha mutely stared at the ground and nodded his head. "Almost."

"_Almost_?"

Inuyasha locked his eyes with Kagome's and then stood up. "Shippo, please explain everything to her." With that he left.

Eyes full of confusion, Kagome turned and glanced at Shippo. The kit sat back, shaking his head. He did not want to be the one to explain to Kagome the courtship rites of a demon. He barely knew them himself being only a baby! Shippo continued to shake his head until Kagome reached out and snatched him. Unfortunately, the sudden movement aggravated his injured leg, and the kit yelped in pain.

Kagome flinched at the sharp howl and then frowned when the cause of pain became evident. "Shippo," she asked comforting him, "what happened to your leg?"

Shippo sorrowfully turned to Miroku. His mission from Inuyasha promised to be a trying one as it was.

Sighing, the monk frowned. "A lot happened last night, Kagome."

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"Kagome," Sango eased as she wiped the tears from her friend's cheeks, "he was crying. Inuyasha sat there and cried. He was truly sorry for what he had done."

Kagome shook her head. "But he was so gentle last night while in his youkai form, even when he bit me. Why did he hurt Shippo?"

Shippo stared at the ground quietly. He knew why Inuyasha had attacked him. It was one of the reasons that he did not hold what had happened against him. Inuyasha had acted upon pure _instinct_. "I knew better," Shippo whispered quietly. "I knew better and I still did it."

"Knew what, Shippo?" Miroku asked, moving closer to his friends. Kirara perched on his head, her silent eyes asking the same question.

"I knew that I shouldn't have gone near Kagome." Shippo turned tear-filled eyes to his friends. "Inuyasha _should_ have attacked me. He wouldn't be much of a demon if he hadn't." The kit sat clenching his fists repeatedly.

"What are you saying, Shippo?" Sango moved closer, confusion etched across her face.

He looked up as the tears began to spill. "He was _protecting_ his _mate_."

"Protecting?" Kagome asked. Her brown eyes filled with more confusion.

Shippo nodded sadly. "And I went after him."

"_You what?!_" 

Flinching at Kagome's shriek, Shippo put a bit of distance between himself and the miko before explaining the rest. "I attacked him in my youkai form," he whispered sorrowfully. "I knew that I shouldn't, but I thought that I had lost you forever, Kagome." He turned his tearful eyes to his surrogate mother. "You're not going to leave me are you?"

Kagome reached forward and drew Shippo into her arms. "Oh, Shippo, no. I'm not going to leave you." She allowed the kitsune to cry for a while before pushing him back a bit so that eye contact was possible. One more small matter still remained. "Shippo, I need you to explain this whole bite thing."

Shippo paled, and Miroku and Sango could not help but laugh. Demon love 101…

"It's…ummm…yeah, it meant…well…he wants…no…I…" Shippo stammered.

Kagome smiled warmly. "Just tell me, Shippo. I need to know."

Shippo frowned but decided to do as Kagome asked. "He claimed you with that bite." Frowning some more, he continued. " His scent is all over you and will be for the rest of your life. No other youkai will come after you as a mate, and Inuyasha will never look for another."

Miroku nodded. "I see. So as far as every other youkai in the land is concerned, Kagome belongs to Inuyasha?"

Shippo nodded. 

"And to a demon, this claiming rite is also a commitment?"

The child nodded again. "But she isn't all the way his yet."

"I'm not?" Kagome asked, confused.

"No, you have to accept his offer."

Kagome leaned in closer, anxious to know more. "And if I wanted to, how would I do that?"

Shippo looked like he was about to gag. " Remember how he bit you? Well, you need to do the same thing."

Kagome's eyes grew wide. "You want me to bite him back?!"

A/N: This on was a little bit longer than the others. I hope it turned out all right. I was extremely tired while writing it. Oh well, let me know what you think. Chapter 5 coming out soon. God Bless~ _Of Memories Past_


	5. Acceptance

DISCLAIMER:  I do not own Inuyasha or anything to do with it.

One Cold Starry Night

By:  Of Memories Past

Chapter 5: Acceptance 

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The stars bejeweling the dark, night sky sparkled exquisitely and cast their faint light on the earth below. The violent winds from the day before had calmed, but they left in their stead an icy chill. The cold air rested heavily over the land. Frost began to form on the tall trees dotting the landscape, their residents having turned in long before, and all except for one slept peacefully.

Inuyasha sat high up in the branches of the tallest tree, drowning in the misery of impatience and wonder. He had not planned on doing what he did, but the youkai instincts were far greater and wiser than he had ever imagined. And those instincts took the matters he had buried the deepest in his heart into their own hands. He was thankful for it.

Small puffs of frost emitted from his mouth as he breathed, all the while contemplating the situation at hand. Now he had to wait. Wait _agonizingly_ for an answer. He groaned and leaned back against the tree. It pained him to think of her rejection. It pained in deep within his heart, and his chest physically ached at the thought of it. He had followed his instincts and claimed her for his own, but he now had to wait and see if he was accepted.

_Acceptance_. Something he had held precious to him all his life. Something he had never had. Demons hated him because he had a human mother. Humans feared him because he had a demon father. No one wanted him. But then he had met Kikyo, and what had started out as something good turned into one of the most horrible disasters existing. And then Kagome came, accepting him fully for who he was. He did not want to lose that rare thing that had finally come into his life after so many years. He did not want to lose her. 

"But how could she want me after what I've done?" he asked the night sadly.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Inuyasha!"

His ears flickered. Kagome. Her voiced called out to him through the darkness and before she knew what had happened, Inuyasha had come down from the tree and swept her back up into the strong branches. He gently placed her where the branches formed what seemed to be a small platform, comfortably holding whoever sat within its sanctuary.

Kagome gasped, not being used to such heights. But her eyes softened as she slid her glance over to the hanyou, who still kept his arms around her. She suppressed a smile when he blushed and turned away, and she comfortably pressed her back up against the strong trunk. "Everyone makes mistakes, Inuyasha."

He scowled. "Yeah, you already said that, wench." Looking down, memories from the night before flooded his mind. Yes, everyone made mistakes. But everyone did not break a poor boy's leg—a _baby's_ leg—just because he could not control himself. He growled, anger at himself rising to a high level once again as the thought of Shippo crying out in pain filled his head. "What do you want, wench?" He looked up his eyes flashing angrily.

Kagome chose to ignore the comment and patted the branches beside her. "Sit with me?" She knew that the anger at himself still ran profusely through his veins.

Inuyasha eyed her warily but did indeed join her. He flinched when she leaned against his shoulder and softly entwined her hand into his own. Shyly, he tangled his fingers with the ones that had found their way to him. However, her actions still left him with the same confusion and pain as before. The wary look on her face that morning as she remembered what had happened the night before still haunted him. The trust that he had had with her before seemed to have vanished within seconds. Months of hard work gone. 

Inuyasha sighed. He needed to know more. He needed to know her heart.

Kagome looked up at the hanyou, sensing his change in mood. "Inuyasha?" She squealed a bit and blushed as he gently picked her up and put her in his lap so they would be facing each other, surprised at the sudden and fairly intimate action. But looking at the tender gaze in his amber eyes as he brushed the bangs back from her face sent all qualms away.

"What do you want, Kagome?" The tone in his voice was gentle and quiet, unlike before. He swallowed, knowing that this was it. Either she accepted, or he lived the rest of his life alone.

But Kagome simply looked into the scared, unsure golden orbs and smiled. It was not just a small smile, but this smile lit up her entire face as true exhilaration radiated from her being. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around him and then turned her face to his ear. "I love you."

_I love you_. The words surged through his body, astonishment clearly evident in his eyes. But if possible, those amber eyes grew even larger as he felt her teeth sink softly down into the flesh of his neck. And then he smiled. _"She's mine…mine forever."_  Tightening his arms around her, he pulled her closer and buried his face in her hair. "I love you."

Kagome released his neck and brought her face around to his. "What was that, Inuyasha?" Her eyes sparkled with delight.

A sorrowful look captured his handsome features as he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers. The kiss ended as quickly as it had started, and Inuyasha carefully cupped her face. "I love you, even though I haven't done the best job of showing it."

Kagome smiled and reached up to soothingly stroke his ears, resting her weight against his chest. She was his, and he was hers. "I know that you love me, Inuyasha. I have no doubt about it. Mistakes are mistakes, and that's the end of them." Sitting back to face him directly, Kagome wrapped her arm around his neck. "Now, I have to be back at that cave in twenty minutes, so you can either take me back now or…"

Silence filled the air as he crushed his lips to hers.

A/N: Okay, one more chapter to go and then that's it. I've enjoyed writing this story. Please review and let me know what you think, but have patience for the epilogue! I'm working on several stories at once. And that plus college is a load of work. God Bless!

~_Of Memories Past_


	6. Epilogue

DISCLAIMER:  I do not own Inuyasha or anything to do with it.

One Cold Starry Night

By:  Of Memories Past

Epilogue: Family 

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     "Kagome!" The happy kit scrambled up from his position on the cave floor and hopped over to his surrogate mother on his good leg. "You're back!"

     Kagome laughed and returned the affectionate squeeze that Shippo had around her neck. "Yes, I'm back, Shippo." She gently positioned the child so that she was holding him against her hip, careful not to hurt his injured leg. "Did you behave?"

     Shippo was in the process of nodding his head when Miroku approached. He swallowed, knowing that Kagome was going to find out exactly what he had done while she was gone.

     "Did he behave?" Miroku spat out, glaring at the kit. He angrily pointed to his face. "Does it look like Shippo behaved?" The poor monk was obviously not in the best of spirits as his glare shifted to the child.

     Kagome suppressed laughter and tried to look stern when she looked at Shippo. "Shippo, why are there colorful drawings all over Miroku's face?" She pursed her lips waiting for an answer.

     Shippo swallowed and looked up at her wide large, green eyes. "I ran out of paper?" he squeaked.

     "Shippo…" she warned.

     Dropping his head, he mumbled. "He was the first one to fall asleep. I remembered your stories about when you or your friends were the first one to fall asleep during your slubber parties. Well, this is like a slubber party, so I drew on him."

     "That's _slumber_ party, Shippo," she corrected gently.

     At that moment, Sango walked up, rubbing at her eyes. She had just woken up. "You're back already?" she asked, yawning.

     "Yes," Kagome grinned. "But it looks like you weren't a very good babysitter."

     Blinking her eyes, Sango looked at Shippo curiously before turning to face Miroku. Her smile started out slowly as the annoyed, colorful face of the monk reached her sights, but hysterical laughter soon erupted from her. "Look at the daisies!" She pointed to his face and pinched his cheek in a very matriarchal manner before walking back to her sleeping role to wake Kirara. She laughed the whole way.

     "He did draw just about everything on your face," Kagome agreed merrily.

     Miroku's left eye began to twitch as he clenched his fist shut. The others found it hard not to laugh as the tree drawn at the corner of his eye seemed to blow in a breeze as he did that. 

     "No, he forgot one thing," he ground out.

     "What did I forget?" Shippo asked curiously.

     Miroku looked up at Shippo menacingly. "Your grave!" He reached for to snatch him out of Kagome's hands.

     But Kagome leapt back, laughing at the irate monk. "Miroku, leave him alone. He was just having a bit of fun. It will all wash off."

     "What will all wash off?" Inuyasha stepped back into the cavern, carrying over his shoulder the carcass of a wild boar. Blood from the killing blows seeped down the body and fell onto the ground in rather large droplets. 

     Kagome swallowed the gagging reflex, knowing that it would be good once cooked.

     Inuyasha smiled tentatively and placed the carcass in a dark corner. He'd take care of it later.

     "Be good, Shippo," Kagome said, placing him on the ground. She turned to Inuyasha and smiled.

     He smiled back hesitantly before opening his arms and allowing Kagome to rush into them. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as Miroku and Shippo sat back watching with wide eyes. The clincher on their surprise was went Kagome reached up to kiss his cheek. Inuyasha simply smiled down at her tenderly kissed her forehead.

     "What?" Miroku gaped. "How come—"

     Kagome giggled and left the warmth of Inuyasha's arms. "Come on, Miroku. I need to talk to you and Sango." She grabbed the confused monk by his hand, and led him away to go and find the demon huntress.

     Shippo, however, smiled brightly up at Inuyasha and lifted his arms to be picked up. 

     Inuyasha reached down and lifted Shippo into his arms. "What do you want, runt?"

     The small kit thrust his face into Inuyasha's until they were nose to nose. "Mates?" Shippo looked right into Inuyasha's amber eyes.

     Inuyasha looked into the close, emerald orbs and swallowed before nodding his head. "Yes."

     The smile that spread across Shippo's face could have split his head. Finally, he had a family again. The kit affectionately rubbed is nose against Inuyasha's, surprising the hanyou slightly, before throwing his tiny arms around his neck. "Dad?"

     Inuyasha's breath caught before exhaling slowly. He nodded his head. "Yes."

     Shippo grinned. "You going to teach me everything now?"

     A smirked crossed the hanyou's features and he glanced toward the dark corner where the wild boar waited. Yes, this was a new chapter in his life now. One that he had readily accepted. And he could do it. It would just be a bit more interesting.

     He slipped the kit onto his shoulders and started walking toward the waiting dinner. "Yes, Shippo, I'm going to teach you everything." He grinned as Shippo cheered. "And the first thing you're going to learn is how to clean out your dinner."

     Shippo grimaced all of a sudden and tried to get off of Inuyasha's shoulders. But the hanyou held his grasp tightly

     "Ewwwww, Dad, NO!"

End

A/N: Well, that is the end. I hope that you all enjoyed it. Let me know what you think! God Bless! ~_Of Memories Past_


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